


Sugar and Spice

by CaptainJimothyCarter



Series: Tumblr Prompt Fics [63]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Adorable, Adorable Peggy Carter, Adorable Steve Rogers, Alternate Universe - College/University, Ask Fic, Drabbles, F/M, Ficlets, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Peggy Carter is a teacher, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Snowball Fight, Steggy - Freeform, Steve Rogers is a teacher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28084746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainJimothyCarter/pseuds/CaptainJimothyCarter
Summary: Peggy is a no-nonsense professor at Brooklyn University. Steve is the University's new art professor and their teaching styles could not be any more opposite. She's a no-nonsense teacher, Steve is laid back. Things were going fine until Steve decided to show his true colors and damn if Peggy couldn't think that this guy was the most adorable thing on this planet.
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Series: Tumblr Prompt Fics [63]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952281
Comments: 17
Kudos: 34





	1. Snickering Snowballs

_ Who threw that?!” _

The tone carried across the snowy campus to let those nearby, in their close-knit circles, that the owner if it was annoying. No,  _ pissed. _

The snow fell from Peggy’s coat as she shook what snow off of her backside that she could. Her perfect vision was sharp enough in the classroom to pick out the few students who still stupidly dare to cheat on her exams and out here on the campus, she could make out a few familiar faces within her class.

And one who taught right next-door to her office.

He stood a foot shorter than her with baby blue eyes, downy soft blonde hair, and freckles dashed across his straight nose. The very nose that scrunched as he snorted, eyes wrinkling in the corner. He dropped the snowball from his hand, shaking the excess snow off of his gloves. A few flecks of snow landed on his hair, nearly blending in with the blonde locks.

She hated how adorable their new art teacher was. Not only did she hate how adorable he was, but she also hated how much the students loved him. She hated how good looking he was, she personally, and selfishly hated how she was attracted to him. 

During his time on campus so far, he fell into the easy role of being the laidback teacher who let his students get away with a lot of things. Things that would not fly in her classroom. Chatting during exam time? That wouldn’t fly, some people needed silence to concentrate, but she’d heard him saying it was fine if they talked, long as it wasn’t loud. He let them choose the soundtrack for their days, often giving the students a choice between two albums that related to his studies. He was often late to class himself, often arriving with nothing but a cup of coffee and a smirk on those full, pink lips. Later, she’d learn he was often a little late because of frequent asthma attacks given he took the bus to work and some people didn’t seem to understand that smoking on the bus was illegal.

What was the most annoying aspect of Mister Rogers was how he seemed to live up to his surname and be so  _ helpful  _ and kind. They were first introduced by Headmaster Coulson who seemed all too gleeful to introduce a history teacher to an art teacher, wearing a smirk on his lips as he quickly walked around the corner. Steve had offered to walk her to her office, then the car, claiming he was worried about her falling because she lacked proper snowshoes and it was starting to ice outside. She had told him, no, but he apparently didn’t take no for an answer and walked her anyway.

That had only been the start of their little  _ acquaintance.  _ She would watch him in between classrooms doing favors that were well out of a professor’s means for students, like researching and writing letters for students to get pets or calling home for them to talk to a difficult parent [okay, that one hit close to home for her.] She’d seen him here late at night and early in the morning, helping the janitors clean up after parties or laying out salt and putting rugs down.

Yet, their most recent encounter had been this morning, the one rare time that neither of them had class, and despite that Steve’s office was halfway across campus, he was knocking on her door. She almost didn’t look up from her lesson plan, the well-practiced sentence of office hours didn't start for another half hour when she could  _ smell  _ the coffee. He was standing in front of her, wearing a jacket that made him look like an over puffed marshmallow. His earmuffs were covering his ears, making him look adorable. His cheeks flushed from the cold outside and he looked almost winded as if he’d been hurrying.

“Mister Rogers,” she breathed, waving him inside. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

_ “Wrong? Why would something be wrong?”  _ He spoke too loudly and she cringed, pointing to her ears. He flushed as he pulled the earmuffs down, setting a cup of coffee on her desk. “Sorry, I forgot about those. Anyway, no, I wanted to beat your normal crowd of students and bring you some coffee. I sometimes hear what those students ask of you and...well, I thought it...be good…”

He seemed to stumble over his own words, flushing a brighter shade of pink as he caught himself. Clearing his throat, Steve shook his head and shoved his hands into his pocket. Oh, he was adorable.

“That’s...so kind of you.” And he seemed to know his order too after a small sip, she found she was impressed. “Thank you, Steve.”

He shrugged and cleared his throat. “I...yeah. I gotta…” He jerked his thumb behind him, to an empty hall, where she knew maybe three classes were being taught right now. The freak snowstorm had caused many students and teachers to miss class. 

“Of course. Thank you again, Steve. You’re very sweet.”

She enjoyed watching him stumble and walk away, locking himself in his neighboring classroom. He must’ve called class off because of the storm too, meaning he came to their building just for her?

Bless that man.

Right now, she couldn’t think of blessing him, as the cold snow dripped into her neck, making her shudder. She  _ glared  _ at Steve who still somehow managed to look just as adorable as he did this morning with his pinking nose from the cold. She was English, she didn’t do well in the cold. The heat was fine but this Brooklyn cold went right through her.

A few of their shared students snickered around them, only stopping when she glared at them. They quickly hurried off, just a few stragglers left around them. 

“Steve?” Peggy asked, lips pursed and brow raised. “Did you throw that snowball at me? Do not lie to me.”

“Or what? You’d give me detention?” There was that sassy fella she’d often hear in his lections. He must’ve found that sass again. She hated how cute he looked as he snickered. “No, it must’ve been from the trees.”

Peggy brow rose, glancing up and around them with her hand waving above.  _ “Funny.  _ There doesn’t seem to be any trees around us right now.” When his mouth opened, she raised a finger to silence him. “To answer your earlier question, no, I won’t give you detention. I’ll remind you as to why you shouldn’t start a battle you can’t win.”

Just as his mouth opened to sass or counter her, Peggy threw a quick handful of loosely packed snow in his direction, striking him right in the mouth. There was some satisfaction in watching him sputter and spitting the snow out.

His eyes narrowed at her as he swiped the snow off of his face, already reaching to scrape some snow off of the bench beside him. “Oh, it’s  _ on.” _

That’s how Peggy found herself engaging with one of the few professors that she tolerated on campus, in an all-out snowball fight. She used the brick wall beside her to gather the snow off of the top, lobbing a lopsided snowball in Steve’s direction. It struck him square in the chest and he shuddered but his more perfectly made snowball struck her hard and clear in the shoulder.

Turns out, that bad eyesight she heard him muttering about didn’t seem to affect him when it came to throwing snowballs at her. His aim was pretty good, just as good as his right armed throw. His snowballs were more solid than hers and didn’t seem to just disintegrate in the air as hers did. 

She threw one hard at his head again, managing to hit it just right to knock the earmuffs off and cause the snow to scatter in his hair. He laughed, throwing his head back and chest out as he laughed, shaking the snow out of his hair. He neglected to pick up the earmuffs in favor of lobbing one at her chest.

This one was solid, sending her a step back. Her scarf caught on the shoulder-high hedge that lined their walkway. Peggy abandoned it to the hedge in favor of throwing her next ball and missing Steve by a few inches.

Steve in turn, childishly stuck his tongue out at her, tossing his next ball and losing his glove with it.

Her next one struck him in the shoulder, getting snow under his jacket. He did a cute little dance, slipping and sliding to get the snow out of his coat.

“Do you see how it feels now?” She asked, her breath floating in the air around them. She felt a little breathless but Steve  _ looked  _ breathless with his flushed face. “Cold isn’t it?”

“Mam, I was born and raised in Brooklyn, I’ve known no warmth in my life.”

She snorted at that one and he stomped his foot, both to get the remaining snow out of his coat and to dismiss her disbelief snorting. 

_ “It’s true!”  _ he insisted, waving his hand at her. 

“Has anyone told you that you’re dramatic?” She mused, rolling his eyes when he lopped a loosely packed ball in her direction and it fell short between them. “And quite rash.”

“Plenty of people. You wanna start a club about it?” He was pouting and she was caught up with the thought of how cute those pouting lips were.

“Only if you’re the president of it. I’ll bring it up to Coulson during our next meeting.”

This time, she threw the next ball to punctuate the end of the sentence. Her glove came with it too, both hitting him in the chest.

They both lost their set of gloves in separate balls, her scarf still fluttered in the branch beside her, his dark blue earmuffs stuck out in the snow in contrast to the white color, her left boot went flying next when it got caught in the root of the hedge, and his scarf came off when he caught himself on the end of the bench.

They were both winded, chest aching from the cold, but neither wanted to admit defeat. Especially Peggy who hated to lose.

Steve’s next ball came flying at her and a quick ducking motion caused it to strike the statue behind her. They both watched as the cheap statue on its weak frame started to tip over before crashing into the frozen landscape behind it.

Sharing a look with her fellow professor, Peggy made quick work of grabbing their soaked winter gear, finally snatching his hand and the both of them booking it back towards her office.

With their gear off and sitting next to a heater, Steve was able to laugh. “Do you think anyone saw us?”

“We were fighting in front of the main building, Steven, I don’t see how not.” She pursed her lips in thought before shrugging. “Though I know you mean the statue, I don’t think we’re in any trouble. Coulson has mentioned how he wants that thing done, we’re doing him a favor.”

“I think we deserve a raise,” the blonde snickered, rubbing the melting snow from his hair. “We call it a draw?”

Her lips remained pursed, regarding him with a look as they sat side-by-side on the couch, feet tucked under her to try to harbor body warmth.

“Not a draw then,” he mused, a little grin on his lips. “Though, you don’t know how to make a snowball, do you?”

Peggy gapped before a beat of laughter escaped her. “Excuse you, I grew up in snow too, Steven.” She paused, her cheeks tinting a soft pink from nothing to do with the cold. “They were terrible, weren’t they?”

“Really bad,” he agreed, looking almost nervous as he turned to face her. “I can teach you how to make a proper one if you’d like.”

Without missing a beat. “Only if we get coffee first, I’m afraid I can’t feel my fingers.” 

Steve’s face split open into a grin that should be illegal with how adorable he looked. “Deal.”


	2. Family Traditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They've been dating for a month already. How time flies...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't want to give the plot away but in this chapter, Steve does lose everything he owns in a fire, so if that's a sensitive subject, please avoid it!

_ Steve? What’s going on? PC _ _  
_ _ Why are your blankets piled up on the couch in my office? PC _

_ Well, you did say if I needed a place to crash, I could always use your couch. SR _ _  
  
_

_ Steven. PC _

_ I remember saying that you could use my couch in between classes and your large projects, in the promise that you would eventually go home to get enough proper sleep. PC _

_ And I personally know how hard it is to sleep on that couch, even for a man of your statue. PC _ _  
_ _ I wouldn’t be concerned if I didn’t also find your bag of toiletries, including your medications. PC _

Peggy can’t help but bite her lips when Steve’s little bubble popped up the three consecutive dots on and off before it just stopped. She sighed and set the phone on the table, rubbing at her temples.

Honestly, the last thing Peggy had expected was to come into her office with the intention to get a bit of grading done before office hours opened up and find Steve’s childhood quilt perfectly folded over the back of her couch. That’s what set the alarm off in her head - Steve would never,  _ ever  _ leave his childhood quilt so out in the open like this. Sure, she locks her office but the janitor and Coulson had the keys. That quilt held memories, more memories than she would ever have in a lifetime, passed from his mother’s mother, and down onto him. She had last seen it folded perfectly over the end of his bed. 

It was an old baby blue color, faded with age. The stitches were wonky and uneven as if someone had hand-stitched it, put it down, and forgot where they were when they picked it back up. Some small red and white star patches on the surface were done by a child’s hand and the image of a smaller Steve hand-sewing patches while his mother told tales warmed her heart.

This should be a warming sight, not one that made her worry.

Still, Steve had yet to text back. She bit her lip again and tried not to obsessively stare at her phone, willing him to reply. When none came after a long stare, Peggy did what she did best and forced herself to pick up where she left last off on grading the expository essays, this one particularly about jellyfish of all things.

_ Hey. SR _ _  
_ _ I know, I know you’re in class. SR _ _  
_ _ And you don’t answer your phone. SR _ _  
_ _ But uh, I’m in your office. SR _ _  
_ _ I used the key you gave me to get in, again, I know it's for emergencies, but uh, I’ll explain everything when you’re inside. SR _ _  
_ _ Don’t rush on my account. SR _

It didn’t surprise Steve to see Peggy’s response almost immediately after he sent the last text.

_ Don’t you dare move. PC _ _  
_ _ I’m on my way. Class has been canceled. PC _

Doing her best to appear put together and not bolt down the hall, Peggy strode into her office. She was a little out of breath and face flushed from the effort but she made it back into her office in record time. Toeing her snowboots off [she’s learned not to wear heels in the ice], Peggy wiggled her toes in the warm office.

Her eyes locked onto Steve in the corner, biting the inside of her cheek at how small he looked on her couch. Normally it was too small for her, but for Steve, he looked like he fit perfectly. He’d taken the blankets he’d left folded and sat them on the edge of her desk, his medicine set right on top of them. All of them, but the quilt sat in his hands.

“Steven?” 

Her voice was a whisper as she crossed over to him and knelt in front of him. Thankfully she had the habit of leaving her blinds closed and the door locked automatically behind her, so she didn’t have to worry about any prying eyes. 

His eyes turned to hers and for a moment her breath was taken away by how  _ blue  _ they looked in the dim light of her office. Not just blue but rimmed red. He’s been crying. The tear stains were on his cheeks, his thick lashes clumped together. His bottom lip didn’t start to tremble until she cupped his jawline and he  _ lost it.  _

The first sob that broke through was one of the most heartbreaking sounds she had ever heard. It tore through her, ached her chest. She swallowed, struggling not to dissolve into tears from the sound of the sobs. 

He pulled her in close, face burying into her neck. She could feel his tears on her skin, feel his small shoulders shaking with the heavy heave of his breath. It grew to the point she was worried about his breathing, hearing his chest rattle with every other purr. 

“Okay, okay,” Peggy breathed, hoisting Steve up into her arms so she could sit on the couch with him. “Come here, darling. Come here.”

Grabbing at his inhaler, she helped him use it after fumbling with it a few times. It seemed to help him calm down, even as he pulled away from her chest with a shuddering breath. His face was flushed a darker red, eyes puffy from constantly rubbing at them. 

“Darling,” Peggy breathed, cupping his jawline. She used the end of her sleeve to wipe a few tears away and chase after them with a soft kiss. “What happened?”

Something had to happen to get Steve to sleep in her office for the past...God knows how long. They’ve been dating unofficially for almost a month now. Christmas break was just around the corner. She’d spent a few nights over at his house, as he had hers, but the last few days, weeks even had been intense with finals and grading, and prep work for the next semester that they’d just hadn’t gone to each other’s home or spent much time together save for work.

Bottom line is, something had happened and something  _ bad.  _ Had something happened to Sarah? She’d talked to her over the phone, even video chat once while Steve yelled out questions from the kitchen about their dinner.

“I lost everything,” He whispered into her shoulder. “Everything. There was a-a fire in my apartment the other...the other…”

Peggy’s heart dropped straight to her gut, feeling a chill run down her spine. “That’s why you weren’t in class for a few days and Coulson attempted to sub for you.”

Steve cringed into her and hiccuped out his agreement. “He was terrible-terrible, wasn’t he? The...the kids are so...polite…”

“Only because they knew I was watching from my window.”

He snorted into her sweater, but it didn’t make her heart feel any lighter. “I don’t know what-what happened. I was out. I-I was at a...a...friend’s house I stayed too late at the gallery again and...and…” His voice trailed off, giving a small shrug as if that could explain everything.

She was silent, her hand rubbing up and down his spine to attempt to comfort him.

“Must’ve left the oven on, they said. They’re still investigating. I-I just got a call from my neighbor, lil ole lady with her cat. She said the firefighters were here...came home to  _ that.  _ I was in such a state of shock. I was staying with my friend there for...for...a few days…until I...I...wanted...didn’t...he didn’t kick me out, I just...”

“It’s okay,” Peggy whispered, forcing him to look up at her. “You don’t have to explain every last detail, love. You went through something traumatic, horrifying. I’m not going to force you to explain everything. I am  _ so  _ sorry, Steven. So very sorry.”

She wasn’t hurt that he didn’t tell her, he was so out of it on his first few days back that he forgot simple things. Even forgot her name. It broke her heart to see him like this.

“Our next step-,” she continued in his silence, listening to his raspy breathing.

“Our?” He pulled away to look up at her, brow pinched in confusion.

“Yes, darling,  _ our.  _ You don’t think I’m going to let you go through this alone, do you?” Before he could open his mouth to counter her, Peggy pressed on. “I’m not going to allow you to do this by yourself, no longer, I’m going to help you. To start with, I’m going to move you to my home. You can take the free bedroom to stay in or sleep with me, I don’t mind either way. I’m sure Coulson knows about the situation but I’ll update him as to where you’ll be living and get an extra key to the office. We can leave here and go to the store to get a few things you’ll need, okay?”

She held her breath, worried. He was still staring at her, blinking slowly. Just as her mouth opened, his bottom lip started to tremble again. Instead of crying as she worried, he kissed her.  _ Then  _ he started to cry into her chest again.

“You-you’re...moving...me in? You don’t have to.”

Peggy cooed softly into his hair, stroking it out of his face. “Hush, love. I don’t have to do a damn thing, but I want to. Why don’t you sit here while I go talk to Coulson, hm?”

* * *

_ “Come in.” _

Peggy was always a little stunned when she entered Coulson’s office, expecting a Dean’s office to be as what’s depicted in media as poised, trinkets everywhere, photos or degrees on the wall. Coulson’s was the exact opposite. More photos of his staff and relaxed with happy, yellow walls, and the warm tone of his trinkets of things that made him happy than anything else.

Still, she steeled the surprise away and held onto the change of address form in her hand. She’d carefully filled out Steve’s information and hers, signing off on it. She had  _ hoped  _ to just drop it off and run and avoid this conversation.

Coulson’s smile was sober as he looked up at her, beckoning her inside so the door swung shut behind her. “I was wondering when you’d stop by. Is that for me?” He held his hand out and Peggy handed over the photo with a nervous smile. “Ah. I see - Steve told you?”

“He did. Perhaps not the best way to find out, but…” She sighed, feeling her shoulders slump. “He’s safe now, that’s all I care about. Things...things can be replaced. I was so worried…” The lump in her throat grew and Coulson seemed to understand, reaching over to pat her hand lightly. 

“We all were. I would’ve made mention to you as soon as I knew, but I was under the assumption he had told you. So, you understand why I’ll have to give you and Steve the Winter Break off early - with pay, of course. No worry about dipping into your hours.” Peggy’s mouth opened to argue but Coulson was shaking his head firmly at her. “Don’t worry about finals, I can handle them. Perhaps not our fellow artists, I already have Mr. Wilson lined up to sub for me for Steve.”

Peggy could feel a weight she didn’t know settling on her shoulders. She sighed and looked down at the oak desk, tracing a scratch on the surface. “You have no idea what this means for Steven and I, Mr. Coulson, thank you  _ very  _ much. He’s packing up the rest of his things in my office now. I’ll email you the few things I have left to grade - Steven too.”

As if expecting nothing less, Coulson nodded and gave her a charming smile. He was always a charmer. “Good, also Miss Carter, a question?”

Standing up to leave, she turned back to look at him in the doorway. “Yes?”

“Was I really that horrible when I subbed his class?”

Peggy cringed and so did Coulson. “Right,” he sighed. “Let’s check that off of my bucket list, shall we? Thank you. And...just so you know - there is no policy about staff dating one another. You two are free to be open about it in public - as long as it’s kept within reason.”

Of course, Coulson knew - she expected nothing less from a man with eyes everywhere.

* * *

“Peggy?”

“Hm.”

“Your alarm is going off.”

“I know.”

Peggy dragged herself to sit up enough to slap the buttons on the alarm to shut it off, collapsing back into the bed with an exhausted sigh. Without even cracking her eyes open to greet the morning light streaming through her window, she knew Steve was smirking at her.

He knew by now how she was not a morning person. She would hit the alarm fifty times in the row to get a few extra moments of sleep if she could. Steve on the other hand was. He was a morning person and always had coffee and breakfast to go, even if they were considered on vacation. She preferred to stay up late, staying up perhaps far too late grading papers.

It was just over a week into Steve’s stay at her apartment and he fits in perfectly as he did in her life. He loved to tend to her, to be that almost annoying reminder about random things she seemed to forget. Rather that was taking  _ her  _ morning meds, her keys, her coffee, turning the light off above the sink when she was done, or closing that tricky window.

Steve had stored most of his things in her spare bedroom. It was just a set up now for a few blankets, the closet full of his clothes that they’d bought, a few shared items like the few towels that couldn’t fit inside the bathroom closet, his toiletries, and a few paintings around them. 

His touch was everywhere in the apartment, from the blankets left folded over the couch. To his medicine lining her cabinet, the special weird food he liked, like raw cabbage [yes, she worried about him], celery, and even the few drinks he did have. He left his touch all over her, more so than sexually speaking, he  _ card  _ for her in a level that she hadn’t experienced.

It was more than the reminders and soft touches, it was on a whole personal level she never thought she’d receive. Growing up, her parents hadn’t been so affectionate to one another, so that’s the level she expected but with Steve? With Steve it was a whole new light had been cast down onto her.

And one of these things, these soft touches he brought into her life was the fact of how much he loved Christmas. He would talk about his time spent in hospitals growing up, how his ma was a nurse, and how Christmas was special to him for growing up so sickly, it meant he survived another year. They didn’t have money growing up so his ma would help him make decorations for the tree, and she’d save and save to buy her son something special.

Peggy, on the one hand, Christmas was just another day. Her family didn’t put much pride in it, so she didn’t learn to. But listening to Steve and his love of the holiday and the wistful tone he spoke of, it warmed her heart. She almost could believe in Santa if he told her the tale enough times.

“Come on,” Steve sighed, poking her in the side and making her throw an arm over her eyes. “You gotta get up.”

“Name one good reason why I have to get out of this warm, cozy bed.”

She could hear him trying to stifle his laughter. “There’s coffee.”

“There’s always coffee.”

“Freshly brewed coffee.”

_ “Next.”  _ Waving her hand, he caught it and brought it to his lips to kiss.

“Hm. I made breakfast.” He could see her peeking from under her arm. “With chocolate. Chocolate chips the  _ good  _ chocolate chips.”

“And,” he continued, leaning down to kiss the dimple on her chin. “We can bake everything for tomorrow.”

_ Tomorrow.  _ Christmas Eve. It meant today, as tradition followed the Rogers’ family would be to bake today and tomorrow would be spent in sharing and partaking in the baked goods with friends and family, meaning Sarah Rogers would be coming over tomorrow. And as meeting-the-parents went, this one was important to both her and Steve.

Sarah already stated how she loved Peggy - how she was the daughter she never had but meeting her in person was something different. 

“As long as we get to make those cinnamon rolls you’ve been up talking about for the past week, then I will have no turmoil with getting up this early to bake. As long as you don’t let me forget to submit those last few grades to Coulson tonight.”

“It means you’ll actually have to  _ read  _ those last five essays,” Steve teased, kissing the tip of Peggy’s wrinkled nose. “And not just skim them.”

“I didn’t skim the others... _ much.” _

* * *

“Where’s the flour?”

“What do you mean where’s the flour? It’s all over you!”

Her wrinkled nose told Steve just exactly how she didn’t appreciate that joke, not when this was their third attempt at these cinnamon rolls. The first dough didn’t rise because she forgot the yeast. The second one was burned after being left on top of the oven while Steve started on the chocolate tart. And okay, maybe she got distracted by the chocolate and the heavenly smell.

Chuckling to himself, Steve helped her flour the counter in front of her. He helped her roll the dough out to the perfect side, using her knives to cut it into a good enough looking square. 

“Here’s the special bit I started last year. I use brown butter and cinnamon sugar,  _ plus  _ bacon.”

He sprinkled everything as he spoke, helping her roll it up and cutting them into slices. Getting them into a tray to proof, Steve helped her clean up.

So far they’ve baked a combination of the chocolate caramel tart, cinnamon rolls, pecan pie, cheesecake, and an icebox tiramisu that confused the hell out of Peggy. All she did was follow steve’s instructions, adoring how he was Mister Chef around her. And a pretty amazing cook - most she could manage was toast and eggs. Steve was the one with a good hand at the stove.

“So,” Peggy mused as they broke in their cleaning for lunch. She had a stack of papers in front of her. He was looking at his phone, putting it down when she caught his attention. “Have you talked to your mother about...everything?”

As far as Sarah knew, Steve had yes, lost his home, and was dating Peggy but he didn’t know he was officially living with her. Not yet. 

Running his spoon around the bowl, Steve’s eyes were firmly on the bowl. “Not yet. I-I mean I am...I wanted...to warn, warn is the wrong word, I just…” He sighed and looked up at her hand on his. “I want tomorrow to be perfect and she  _ loves  _ you but I worry and after...after everything...I…”

He shrugged and Peggy clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. 

“It’s going to be okay,” she promised, squeezing his hand. “We’ll deal with what’s to come together. Besides, if your chocolate tart is anything to speak of - how can your mother be upset about something while eating that? It’s heaven.”

He didn’t look like he believed her, but at that time the timer went off and he trailed off into the kitchen to get out their steaming cinnamon rolls. Coming back into the dining room, he pulled the apron off and looked down at her. “Did I...you’re green, are you okay?”

Peggy frowned at the bowl she was eating - was it that obvious? She’d struggled to eat Steve’s homemade chicken noodle soup, she’d struggled to eat these past few days, actually. At first, she thought it was stress or a bug but now it was making her worry. Before she could reply, she was running to the bathroom and waving Steve off from following her.

* * *

“Are you okay?” Steve asked, concern laced in his voice. “Was the soup bad? The ginger should’ve helped, I-”

He shut up at Peggy scooping him up and swinging him around. His eyes were the size of saucers as he was sat down.

“No, no, darling,” Peggy breathed, holding his face in her hands. “I’m pregnant.”


	3. Sugar Cookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy gets to meet Sarah Rogers and learn of family traditions.

Sure, Peggy wanted to laugh but she was raised better than that and knew laughing would offend both Steve and his mother that she was desperately trying to impress. Not like it was hard - Sarah Rogers was just like her son. She was a ray of sunshine and was a positive light to everything around her. She was absolutely beautiful and went out of her way to help those around her. 

Unfortunately, Peggy didn’t have the best manner of meeting her and it was one hundred percent both her and Steve’s fault. Steve’s overreacting manner, her own manner to underplay the situation, and their neighbor, who had heard Steve screaming with excitement over her pregnancy a week earlier, who called the ambulance.

“I’m just glad everything is okay,” Steve sighed, resting his forehead against Peggy’s lap. He smiled as her hand stroked through his hair, scratching at his scalp. “Sorry I sorta screamed at the medic, I ain’t normally like that. I-I was worried and…” 

The apology melted away as she cupped his jawline, pressing a tender kiss to his lips when he lifted his head. 

“You were worried, we understood - the medic apologized too.” Peggy sighed as she laid her head back on the rather comfortable pillows, glad Steve knew to dim the lights down. “Is it odd that I’m the one in this bed and not you?”

“Odd. Stressful. Anxiety-ridden. I’ll be glad when they give us the go-to to go home,” he grumbled, setting himself up in the chair. “I don’t like it - I don’t like it when I have to be in that bed or when you’re in it.” His hand hadn’t letten go of hers since the ambulance had arrived. “How are you feeling? The fluids are pretty normal standard, I-”

They both fell silent when there was a soft knock on the door and a familiar woman entered - one she’s seen on Steve’s phone. Sarah Rogers - absolutely beaming and wearing bright pink scrubs. She immediately hugged her son, Steve melting into her before turning to Peggy.

“When I said we needed to meet, I didn’t mean like this,” she laughed as she hugged the woman laid out in the bed. Her fingers ghosted over Peggy’s belly with a small smile. “Well - everything came back normal on the blood work we took. I wanted to deliver the good news. You’re certainly pregnant.”

Despite the pregnancy test had confirmed that the blood work confirming it as a definite answer made this very real. Peggy felt her breath leave her lungs, staring between the two beaming lights of the sun. Steve was back by her side before she was aware she was crying, holding her tightly around the shoulders and kissing her head.

“You’re okay, Pegs, it’s okay, we-”

Before he could continue anymore to try to comfort her or fix a situation that didn’t need to be fixed, Peggy pulled him down for a hard kiss. She watched as Sarah politely looked away to start to fiddle with the charts. 

“I’m not upset,” she insisted, sniffling as they parted. “I-I’m happy. I’m in shock. I...I-” She gave a little smile, not one to be lost for words. “I’m relieved. I’m pregnant. With your child. And your grandchild.” 

Sarah smiled at Peggy, the professor sinking into the bed with relief. How in the world could she do that? “And my grandchild. I hope you know that since you are pregnant with my grandchild that means you’re fully a Rogers now - rather you two decide to marry or not. There’s absolutely no need to rush anything. You’re welcomed into our home - even without a child, honestly. I’m just happy to see Steve so happy and in love.” 

She laughed at her son’s ears turning red, avoiding looking at his mother. “Honestly, Steven…” She patted his hand lightly. “I’ll come over tonight as planned. We’ll start the sugar cookies.” 

“Sugar cookies?” Peggy asked, the idea of anything sweet just made her stomach roll.

“It’s a family tradition,” Sarah explained. “On Christmas Eve, we bake sugar cookies to leave out for Santa.” Her face was completely stoic, leaving Peggy to fully and firmly believe her. She wouldn’t dare to laugh at a tradition, even if it was silly in the back of her mind. “If you’re up to it, of course, Peggy. You just had a hard fall and you’re going to be tired - I understand if not.”

The idea of breaking a family tradition so important to son and mother was heartbreaking to Peggy - what’s a bit of tiredness? She’s had worst, she could plow through it. 

“I’ll be fine,” she assured both of them, Steve’s face lighting up. That’s why she did it - to see Steve absolutely so happy. “I’d love to partake in your tradition but I’m afraid my decoration skills are...minimal at best.”

“That’s why we have our little artist here.” She ruffled Steve’s hair, the blonde looking five times the shade of red. “Let’s get you two ready to go home, hm?”

* * *

Going home was a lot easier now that the snow had stopped for now. Someone, most likely their neighbor, had cleaned off the sidewalk and put salt down. With Steve’s support, a very sore Peggy was able to slowly get inside their warm apartment, grateful to shed the heavy coat. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Steve asked in a worried tone, for the unkempt time. “That was a hard fall and you hit your head and you heard ma, we can always wait till later and-” He was silenced once again by her kiss, Steve melting into her.

“Do you want to tell me what’s really bothering you, darling? You’re rambling an awful lot.”

The scrawny blonde shrugged as he retreated to the kitchen to start cleaning up in preparation for later. Peggy followed after, choosing to sit down at the table and pile her lesson plans up into a neat pile. 

Steve had chosen to furiously scrub at a dish that didn’t need it in the sink, his shoulders tense as he ran the washcloth over the hot water. After a few minutes of him doing this, obviously trying to ignore her, he sighed as the plate hit the sink. 

_ “I don’t know what kind of father I’m gonna be, I…”  _ He stopped, took in a deep breath before turning to look at her. “I mean...I didn’t have the best father growing up. He was in and out of my life - you know the story, my ma basically raised me. When he was in my life, he’d pretend to be better and just...just go back to his old ways. He was abusive, Pegs, what...what if I’m like that? What if I’m....what if I continue the cycle?”

His voice cracking, the obvious worry made Peggy’s heart shatter. Despite the tingling pain in her back, she stood up quickly to wrap him in a tight hug, pressing his face into her chest. Her hand held tightly to his hair, rocking them side to side.

“You will not be like that, Steven, do you understand me? You are a kind and sweet person - your ma has done a wonderful, absolutely wonderful, amazing job raising you. You care for the little people, you go out of your way to help others. You are absolutely so, so sweet. You are  _ not  _ going to be like Joseph.” 

She leads them to the living room, sitting Steve in her lap and taking the weighted blanket to wrap around them. Her lips pressed tenderly into his temple. 

“But...what if…”

“Steven, you  _ care  _ about others. You help the kids in your class who think your class is an easy A. You help kids who are obviously going through something find help. You start programs to-to help veterans through art! You help our neighbors when you’re sick as a dog. You are an amazing person. You will not be like that. Besides…”

It was her turn to sigh and nuzzle into his hair. “Whose to say I will be a good mother? I never once had an interest in being a mother - not until, well now. I didn’t play with babydolls and if you look at my parents, they’re stiff as can be. There’s some love between them, sure, but it’s all...well, as you say,  _ posh.”  _

He snorted into her, pulling back to kiss her. Funny how such a kiss could reassure her greatly.

“But you’re not them. You love in a different language than I do or they do. You take care of your students - okay maybe compared to my teaching you’re harsher but it’s because you care. If your students cheat at something you just don’t boot them out of the class, you get down to the root of the problem. You’re stern, yes, but for good reason. You’re fun and caring. Okay, so maybe we both don’t know how to be parents but we’ll learn.”

He yawned into her shoulder, curling up so his face was pressed back into her chest. She laid them back so they were comfortable on their side with the warm blanket around them. They had a few hours before Sarah showed up, what could a nap hurt?

“You’re right,” she hummed, unsure if Steve was even awake at this point, “We’ll learn.”

* * *

“Darling?”

Peggy blinked awake to find Sarah above her and Steve gone from her arms. The soft sounds of someone in the kitchen made her believe he was there. She smiled at the woman, sitting up as a hot beverage was pushed into her hands.

“Ginger tea has a bit of spice but it’ll help with nausea. You two were asleep when I came in, so I got take out. It’s on the counter. Steve is finishing up the cookies.”

Peggy’s face pinched as she sipped on the tea, more from the idea of missing a tradition. “Sarah, I-I am so sorry. I didn’t realize how late it was, I…”

“Hush, now. You didn’t ruin a thing, darling. You were tired, Steve says you’ve been up late worrying. It’s okay. Right now, Steven is finishing up the decorations. You didn’t miss anything. We’ll still put a plate out, put them on the tree. I think your rest is more important.”

She sat down beside her and reached into the pocket of her scrubs. Peggy frowned at the two rings she pulled out and pressed into her hand. They were worn with age and needed a good polish, a diamond was missing out of the wedding band even. 

“You don’t...have to say anything, okay? These are for you. I know they’re...worn but they require some TLC. They were my grandmothers’ and hers before that. They’ve been in the family for generations. I think it was time I passed them onto you.”

Peggy was never a crier but for the second time this day, she found herself with tears in her eyes and hugging Sarah tightly. “Thank you,” was all she could manage. She didn’t miss Steve’s knowing smile in the doorway.

She’d never be able to keep a secret from him.

* * *

“Peggy, darling?” Sarah breathed, cupping Peggy’s sweaty face. “There we go, hi, darling. Just one last push, okay?”

Peggy’s hand twitched around Steve’s. All she could do was nod and look into Sarah’s eyes. The women whose been by her side this entire time. Who became the mother she needed, who taught her so much in such a short amount of time. Who loved her so, so much. Who was there to marry them, to now helping her birth her grandson.

She squeezed Steve’s hand as she pushed, unable to help the scream that tore from her. The pain was nothing like she’d imagined, refusing any sedatives. She felt her soul being torn out of her body on that last push, Sarah holding her comfortingly as another scream joined the room.

Followed by another scream.

Peggy, in too much of a daze, didn’t notice Steve’s pale face right away. Or Sarah’s shocked expression.

“How?” Steve breathed, looking between the doctor, to his mother, to Peggy. “How did we miss?”

“It’s...possible, rare, but possible,” Sarah chuckled. “Congratulations, Peggy, you’re a mother to twin boys.”

Peggy’s vision swam with tears as Steve cut the umbilical cords and the babies were eventually laid onto her chest. Twins. Twin boys who cooed in her arms, quiet now that they were born. Beautiful boys with bright blue eyes and blonde hair. One had Steve’s dimples. The other, her freckles.

“Micheal James,” She breathed, kissing the one on the left, closer to Steve. “And...and…” She turned to look at Steve with a frown, her mind too clouded to think. 

They hadn’t thought of many times, they settled on Micheal James, with very little backup. 

“Chester Edwin?” Steve prompted, his own eyes teary as he stroked Peggy’s hair. “After…” He couldn’t finish, his throat tight. 

Peggy understood, kissing Steve on the lips. “It sounds perfect. Would you like to hold your sons, Steve?”


End file.
